Administrative Code of 1987/Book IV/Title XIV/Chapter 3

by Corazon Aquino

Layout 2

Chapter 3—The Staff Sectoral Bureaus

Sec. 14. Forest Management Bureau.—The Forest Management Bureau shall be headed by a Director and assisted by an Assistant Director, and shall integrate and absorb the powers of the Bureau or Forest Development and the Wood Industry Development Authority which were abolished by Executive Order No. 131, except those line functions and powers thereof which are transferred to the regional field office.

It shall advise the Secretary on matters pertaining to forest development and conservation. As its primary functions, it shall:

(1) Recommend policies and/or programs for the effective protection, development, occupancy, management and conservation of forest lands and watersheds, including the grazing and mangrove areas; reforestation and rehabilitation of critically denuded or degraded forest reservations, improvement of water resource use and development, development of national parks, preservation of wilderness areas, game refuges and wildlife sanctuaries, ancestral lands, wilderness areas and other natural preserves, development of forest plantations, including rattan, bamboo, and other valuable non-timber forest resources; and rationalization of the wood-based industries, regulation of the utilization and exploitation of forest resources, including wildlife, to ensure continuous supply of forest and goods and services;

(2) Advise the regional offices in the implementation of the above policies and/or programs;

(3) Develop plans, programs, operating standards and administrative measures to promote the Bureau's objectives and functions;

(4) Assist in the monitoring and evaluation of forestry and watershed development projects to ensure efficiency and effectiveness;

(5) Undertake studies on the economics of forestry and forest-based industries, including supply and demand trends on the local, national and international levels, identifying investment problems and opportunities in various areas; and

(6) Perform such other functions as may be provided by law or assigned by the Secretary.

Sec. 15. Lands Management Bureau.—The Lands Management Bureau, to be headed by a Director and assisted by an Assistant Director, shall absorb the functions and powers of the Bureau of Lands abolished by Executive Order No. 131, except those line functions and powers thereof which are transferred to the regional field offices.

It shall advise the Secretary on matters pertaining to rational land management and disposition and shall have the following functions:

(1) Recommend policies and programs for the sufficient and effective administration, surveys, management and disposition of alienable and disposable lands of the public domain and other lands outside the responsibilities of other government agencies, such as reclaimed areas and other areas not needed for or are not being utilized for the purposes for which they have been established;

(2) Advise the Regional Offices on the efficient and effective implementation of policies, programs and projects for more effective public lands management;

(3) Assist in the monitoring and evaluation of land surveys, management and disposition of lands to ensure efficiency and effectiveness thereof;

(4) Issue standards, guidelines, regulations and orders to enforce policies for the maximization of land use and development;

(5) Develop operating standards and procedures to promote the Bureau's objectives and functions; and

(6) Perform such other functions as may be provided by law or assigned by the Secretary.

Sec. 16. Mines and Geo-Sciences Bureau.—The Mines and Geo-Sciences Bureau, to be headed by a Director and assisted by an Assistant Director shall absorb the functions of the Bureau of Mines and Geo-Sciences, Mineral Reservations Development Board, and the Gold Mining Industry Development Board which were abolished by Executive Order No. 131, except line functions and powers thereof which are transferred to the regional field offices.

It shall advise the Secretary on matters pertaining to geology and mineral resources exploration, development, utilization and conservation and shall:

(1) Recommend policies, regulations or programs pertaining to mineral resources development and geology;

(2) Advise the Secretary on the granting of mining rights and contracts over areas containing metallic mineral resources;

(3) Advise the Regional Offices on the effective implementation of mineral development and conservation programs as well as geological surveys;

(4) Recommend policies, regulations and oversee the development and exploitation of mineral resources of the sea within the country's jurisdiction such as silica sand, gold placer, magnetic and chromite sand, etc;

(5) Assist in the monitoring and evaluation of the Bureau's programs and projects to ensure efficiency and effectiveness thereof;

(6) Develop and promulgate standards and operating procedures on mineral resources development and geology;

(7) Supervise and control the development and packaging of nationally applicable technologies on geological survey, mineral resource assessment, mining and metallurgy; the provision of geological, metallurgical, chemical and rock mechanics laboratory services; the conduct of marine geological and geophysical survey and natural exploration drilling programs; and

(8) Perform such other functions as may be provided by law or assigned by the Secretary.

Sec. 17. Environmental Management Bureau.—The Environmental Management Bureau, to be headed by a Director who shall be assisted by an Assistant Director shall subject to the provisions of this Code relative to the Pollution Adjudication Board, absorb and integrate the powers and functions of the National Environmental Protection Council, the National Pollution Control Commission, and the Environmental Center of the Philippines which are hereby abolished.

It shall advise the Secretary on matters relating to environmental management, conservation, and pollution control, and shall:

(1) Recommend possible legislation, policies and programs for environmental management and pollution control;

(2) Advise the Regional Offices in the efficient and effective implementation of policies, programs, and projects for the effective and efficient environmental management and pollution control;

(3) Formulate environmental quality standards such as the quality standards for water, air, land, noise and radiations;

(4) Recommend rules and regulations for environmental impact assessments and provide technical assistance for their implementation and monitoring;

(5) Formulate rules and regulations for the proper disposition of solid wastes, toxic and hazardous substances;

(6) Advise the Secretary on the legal aspects of environmental management and pollution control and assist in the conduct of public hearings in pollution cases;

(7) Provide secretariat assistance to the Pollution Adjudication Board;

(8) Coordinate the inter-agency committees that may be created for the preparation of the State of the Philippine Environment Report and the National Conservation Strategy;

(9) Provide assistance to the Regional Offices in the formulation and dissemination of information on environmental and pollution matters to the general public;

(10) Assist the Secretary and the Regional Officers by providing technical assistance in the implementation of environmental and pollution laws; and

(11) Provide scientific assistance to the Regional Offices in the conduct of environmental research programs.

Sec. 18. Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau.—The Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau, to be headed by a Director and assisted by an Assistant Director, shall absorb the powers and functions of the Forest Research Institute and the National Mangrove Committee, which are hereby abolished.

It shall:

(1) Formulate and recommend an integrated research program relating to Philippine ecosystems and natural resources such as minerals, lands, forests, as holistic and interdisciplinary fields of inquiry;

(2) Assist the Secretary in determining a system of priorities for the allocation of resources to various technological research programs of the department;

(3) Provide technical assistance in the implementation and monitoring of the aforementioned research programs;

(4) Generate technologies and provide scientific assistance in the research and development of technologies relevant to the sustainable uses of Philippine ecosystems and natural resources; and

(5) Assist the Secretary in the evaluation of the effectiveness of the implementation of the integrated research program.

The Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau shall directly manage and administer the Forest Research Institute Research Offices, laboratories, and forest experiment stations located at UP Los Baños and such other field laboratories as the Secretary may assign to its direct supervision. The Bureau shall coordinate all technological researches undertaken by the field offices, assess and translate all recommendable findings and disseminate such findings for all possible users and clientele.

Sec. 19. Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau.—The Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau, to be headed by a Director and assisted by an Assistant Director, shall absorb the Division of Parks and Wildlife and the Marine Parks Program of the Bureau of Forest Development as well as the Calauit Game Preserve and Wildlife Sanctuary, Presidential Committee on the Conservation of Tamaraw, Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center (formerly Parks and Wildlife Nature Center), shares in Kabuhayan Program and Agro Forestry State Projects of the KKK Processing Authority, all national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and game preserves previously managed and administered by the Ministry of Human Settlement including National Parks Reservation situated in the provinces of Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna and Quezon formerly declared as Bagong Lipunan Sites of said Ministry, Magat Forest Reservation and Mt. Arayat National Park, formerly with the Ministry of Tourism.

The Bureau shall:

(1) Formulate and recommend policies, guidelines, rules and regulations for the establishment and management of an Integrated Protected Areas Systems such as national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and refuge, marine parks, and biospheric reserves;

(2) Formulate and recommend policies, guidelines, rules and regulations for the preservation of biological diversity, genetic resources, the endangered Philippine flora and fauna;

(3) Prepare an up-to-date listing of endangered flora and fauna and recommend a program of conservation and propagation of the same;

(4) Assist the Secretary in the monitoring and assessment of the management of the Integrated Protected Areas System and provide technical assistance to the Regional Offices in the implementation of programs for these areas; and

(5) Perform such other functions as may be provided by law or assigned by the Secretary: